Bombardier’s New Flagship Impresses

Bombardier has announced that NetJets, the Berkshire Hathaway-owned company that pioneered fractional business jet ownership, is to be the fleet launch customer for its much-anticipated Global 8000 jet.

Adding to its world-leading fleet of more than 850 aircraft, NetJets has placed a firm order for four Global 8000 jets valued at $312-million. Additionally, NetJets will convert eight of its existing orders for Bombardier aircraft to Global 8000s and upgrade the entirety of its Global 7500 fleet to 8000s—thereby furnishing its customers with no fewer than 24 Global 8000 business jets.

The upgrading of NetJets’s Global 7500s to 8000s will occur once the 8000 is certified and Bombardier issues a service bulletin for the conversion—so a Bombardier spokesman advised.

Bombardier president and CEO Eric Martel remarked: “The new Global 8000 aircraft is the ultimate solution for NetJets’ discerning owners, offering a truly seamless private aviation experience. NetJets’ experience and expertise make them the ideal partner to unlock the full potential of this revolutionary Mach 0.94 business jet in a large fleet context. Our valued relationship continues to grow stronger, and we are proud to share this historic milestone together.”

NetJets president of sales, marketing, and service Patrick Gallagher added: “With inventory sold-out through 2023 in the U.S., we are continuing to invest in further expansion for prospective owners in North America and across the globe. In fact, by the end of 2023, we are proud to share that our worldwide fleet will be approximately 30 percent larger than it was at the beginning of 2022.”

Unveiled at EBACE 2022, the Global 8000 is an ultra-long-range business jet with a fuselage length of 31.2 meters, a fuselage diameter of 2.8 meters, and an empennage height of 8.3 meters. The model’s wings span 31.7 meters and feature canted winglets. The Global 8000 is powered by a pair of General Electric’s Passport engines. Developed by GE Aviation specifically for large business jets, the Passport is a 16,500 lbf (take-off) twin-spool, axial-flow turbofan with a high bypass ratio of 5.6:1 and an overall pressure ratio of 45:1.

Motivated by its Passport engines, the Global 8000 has an advertised cruise speed of 487-knots, an advertised range of 7,900-nautical-miles, and a service ceiling of FL510.

Global 8000 pilots will enjoy availing themselves of Bombardier Vision flight deck with integrated fly-by-wire technology. The 8000’s cockpit sports four Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screens, a Head-Up Display (HUD), an Enhanced Vision System (EVS), and a Synthetic Vision Systems (SVS). The great Canadian bird features a graphical flight planning and MultiScan weather radar capable of detecting wind-shear.

The Global 8000 boasts bleeding-edge Performance Based Navigation (PBN) features such as Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), Localizer Performance with Vertical guidance (LPV) approach, and Area Navigation (RNAV) that allows the aircraft’s position to be determined continuously whenever it is within range of navigation aids, or within the limits of a self-contained system ability.

The model is also equipped with Controller Pilot Data Link Communication (CPDLC).

The Bombardier Global 8000’s ample cabin-volume of 63.32 cubic meters comfortably accommodates a maximum of 19 passengers plus four crew-members. The cabin can be configured into three zones and offers travelers industry-best, worldwide, in-flight internet connectivity, video conferencing, highspeed up and downloading, streaming HD, and extremely low latency.

That Bombardier’s Global 8000 represents a serious challenge to Gulfstream’s emergent G800 is certain—what remains to be seen is which of the two majestic machines better endears itself to the world’s ultra-wealthy and their eminently fortunate pilots.

FMI: www.bombardier.com